Carter's Humming, Chosen Hearts Series S7
by HDorothy
Summary: What was Jack thinking when Sam started humming on the elevator?


Title: Carter's Humming - Chosen Hearts Series - S7 - 712, 713,715

Author: HDorothy aka HailDorothy

Category: Romance/Angst

Warning: none

Paring: Jack/Sam

Season: 7

Spoilers: 711-712 Evolution II, 713 Grace, 715 Chimera

Rating: K

Story Summary:What was Jack thinking when Sam started humming on the elevator? Written to canon, but with my fictional sideline of, 'a mutual love commitment that we'll wait till this freaking Goa'uld war is over.' This is for all the shippers who impatiently await a romantic conclusion to Sam and Jack's wannabe lovers' relationship.

Fic size: 166KB

Archive: Jackfic, GateWorld, Heliopolis, SamandJack, FanFiction

Author's Note: Please Read _'Let Her Fly'_ first.

Series Summary: This is an established storyline in which Jack and Sam fell in love during Jack's retirement. When Jack is re-commissioned and Sam inadvertently assigned his subordinate, they pretend to be strangers and put their wannabe lovers relationship on hold. Little do they realize it will not be a matter of months, but years, before they can follow through on the desire of their chosen hearts.

Song lyric: Snow Bird, Anne Murray ©

Disclaimer: All publicity recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This series may include script excerpts from the TV Series 'Stargate SG-1.' This fan fiction was created for entertainment, not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks are intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of said author, HailDorothy 2004 ©.

Beta thanks: To Carol Sue for her critical scrutiny, encouragement, and a shared faith in the Great I Am.

Feedback: Gosh, darn, don't make me beg! Pretty Please? Starvation of this writer's muse is no pleasant sight. All feedback is food for thought and well digested. "Feed me, Seymour!" (The Little Shop of Horrors)

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR . . .

"_Spread your tiny wings and fly away . . . to that land of gentle breezes, where the peaceful waters flow When I was young, my heart was young then to, Anything that it would tell me, that's the thing that I would do. But now I feel such emptiness within, For the thing I want the most in life is the thing that I can't win . . . So little snowbird take me with you when you go, to that land of gentle breezes where the peaceful waters flow. . .If I could, you know that I would fly away with you."  
_

Another stupid bird song trips through your head and you curse the day Hammond ordered music with lyrics be played in the officer's commissary.

War's hell. Not by a long shot. Obviously the bimbo who penned that cliché never loved, never walked away from his one safe bet, from the woman who gave him a reason to haul his sorry butt out of bed every morning.

The last few months have been draining on and off world, especially since you opened the door to your heart and let Samantha Carter fly. After her safe return from the horrible Prometheus incident, you've gone out of your way to avoid personal interaction. It hurts to watch her try and theorize what and why you're acting like a cold, insensitive jerk. Funny, you'd think she'd have realized that science doesn't have all the answers.

Daniel knows though, so does Teal'c. As for General Hammond, well, he's so not asking. Besides it's not like you've become the CO from hell. Nope, you treat Major Carter with the utmost respect and always watch her six. You're thankful no one has the balls to address the issue. They respect your personal space, including nosey Daniel's last remark, "Geez, Jack, you actually opened the cage door—"

You gave him a cold look and stalked off. _Yeah, Daniel, I can easily be a calculating, asshole twenty-four seven._ The problem is you do it so naturally, that you wonder if you still have a heart. No, you reason, you don't. Because you gave your heart to this woman so long ago that when you chose to walk, you made sure to toss her the fricking key. Now, there's nothing left in your life but a mundane day-to-day routine, midnight stargazing, too many beers and restless nights dreaming of what might have been.

The only thing you look forward to is seeing her at work. Yeah you still have that. Even that's strained. You ponder the last time you had her full attention, let alone a civil conversation.

Strangely she's begun to smile more and you know it's not about you. You wonder if it has to do with her recent visits to her brother Mark in San Diego. You hope that's all it is, sibling bonding time. Yeah, that makes sense, since Jacob left for an unknown duration. A measure of guilt settles on your shoulders. You'd promised Dad to take care of his daughter and not just as her CO. Now you reason, Jacob will rejoice over this newest development. Let's face it, Jack; he never wanted the two of you together, let alone married.

Crap! You're miserable. You hide behind your irreverent attitude and bad jokes. Last week in the commissary, she didn't smile or laugh at your newest Burns/Anubis analogy. She hadn't even been listening. You realized you were no longer the center of her universe. With quiet dignity you excused yourself, went to your quarters and puked, telling yourself it had been something you ate. You're such a terrible liar, Jack, even to yourself.

Although rare but sometimes, well not often. . .you assure yourself, those deep buried emotions squirm their way to the surface of your craggy face. On your last emotional lapse, you caught her wistful stare. Your gazes locked in grief for what you once had together. You broke eye contact, turned to walk away and heard the whoosh of her expelled breath. At least, she'd remembered to breathe.

You sense she knows why. More important, she's never confronted you or asked what's wrong. Let alone, why after seven and half years you don't seem to care more than you should, nor why things are no longer '_Okay_' between the two of you? Umm, maybe it's that don't ask don't know military mindset.

Sometimes you want to ask if something significant happened when she got stranded onboard the Prometheus, but you don't. That would be getting personal and you don't do that anymore. The personal crap. The worst part is she seems fine with this altercation. That hurts. You realize you've lost the most important person in your life. Then from deep within the belly of your private hell comes a small voice, a reminder, of why you opened the cage and let her fly.

She deserves more than you can give her, deserves to be happy outside this blasted mountain. Yeah, you love her enough to do the right thing and . . . that makes it worth it.

SGC: 1450

For once you're alone on the elevator with her. Awkward? Yes! However, you covet anytime with your 2IC, no matter how mundane. You're about to make small talk when she starts humming. It's not your song. Your breath hitches in your throat. You recall your conversation of commitment three years ago. "Don't worry, Jack, if I ever fall for someone else, which I won't, I'll hum."

"Humming?"

She blushes.

"I am?" _She won't look at you._

"You are." _Trepidation furrows your brow._

"Sorry." _Is she?_

"What's his name?" _Crap, why'd you ask? Dumb, dumb, dumb!_

"No one." _Yeah sure, and the Asgard eat blue Jell-O! __You go for broke._

"Humming." _You glance at her critically._

"Pete."

"Pete?" _What the! Jack and Pete are four letter names. Who says you can't be analytical? _

"Pete Shanahan, he's a cop." _He's Irish and government employed? Too freaking weird! With your heart in overdrive you tease . . . _

"Speeding again, are we?" _You don your patent deadpan mask of apathy. Dang, if you'll let her see __how she's stomped on your mangled heart. _

"He's from Denver. He's a friend of my brother's."_ Never did like her brother! Okay, Jack, play it cool. Don't __wear your heart on your sleeve._

"Set-up." _O' duh!_

"Pathetic, I know." _Absolutely, no, fricking idea!_

"No. It's great." _Not! So, why not tell her?_

_You can't. _

_Won't. _

_Don't know how. _

_Now. _

_Geez_!

"Really?" _Is she surprised, disappointed? Clueless?_

"Isn't it?" _Say no, Sam!_

"Well it's not serious or anything." _For crying out loud, she was humming! _

"And yet it is humworthy." _Well that's original, Jack._

"But, sir— " S_he insinuates you're prodding. You admit it . . ._

"But, Carter, it's none of my . . .business. I'm just happy that you're happy about something else other than quarks." _There, you confessed you want her happy even if with another man. Liar! _

She looks at you and appears impressed with your techno babble.

"Not bad with quarks, huh?" _Wow, even you're impressed._

"Excellent." She looks away and starts to fidget. _You lean heavier against the car's frame. The ensuing silence is well . . ._

"A bit uncomfortable isn't it?" _Ya think! It's about what's not spoken that matters. She's just said way more than you want to know._

"Yeah, a bit." Her arms hugging her chest defensively, her gaze is fixed on the door as if willing it to open. _Yeah the sooner the better!_

The elevator doors roll open and you stalk out quickly. _Say something, anything, . . . _

"Good luck." _Your words sound bogus. They are._

"Thank you, sir," she replies as if relieved you're leaving.

The door shuts.

"Yeah, keep me apprised, informed, updated . . ." you mutter in disbelief.

Numb from the jolting revelation, you gawk at the elevator. Carter has a boyfriend. You'd thought that privilege applied solely to you. Idiot! You want to hate the guy, really you do, but all you feel is envy. He's accomplished what you've only dreamt about. He's made Samantha Carter hum.

Fin

Please read the next story in the Chosen Hearts Series, **Carter's Snookered**.


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